Vehicle-signal.



Patenwd Dec. 1 1, 1915.

a saiairns entrance ora ion.

CHRISTIAN HEIDEMANN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

VEHICLE-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Men. M, 1815.

Application filed April 20, 1914.. Serial No. 833,021.

7 '0 all whom it may concern L' Be it known that I, Cmns'rmx Hmon- MANN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Vehicle-Signal, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle signals, such assignals for automobiles, to indicate the fact that the vehicle is about to stop or the speed thereof reduced.

An object of the invention is to provide a signal device including an electrically controlled lamp which may be conveniently at tached to an automobile and which is controlled through connections operated by any of the controlling levers of the automobile, so that when the speed of the vehicle is reduced or the same is about to be brought to a stop the lamp will be lighted and the signal arm moved to indicate the fact that the speed of travel of the vehicle has been changed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a signal of novel and ornamental construction and design including an electrical indicating device which is controlled incidentally to the movement of the signal arm in which it is supported incident to the reduction of speed of the vehicle by the operation of controlling devices for the vehicle.

Other objects will appear from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which T. have illustrated one embodiment of the invention, and in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the signal in its relation to an automobile to which it is attached. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the signal device removed from the automobile, this view being enlarged with respect to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the signal device in its normal or idle position. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a art of the signal arm, illustrating the relation of the lamp to the reflector. Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the arrangement by which the lamp is lighted as an incident to the operation of the signal. v

The signal includes a bracket, having a horizontal arm 1 attached to a part 2 of the automobile, and a vertical arm 3 which extends upwardly at the rear of the tonneau. A supporting plate 4 is supported on a pivot 4 near the upper extremity of the vertical arm 2,' and is movable from a vertical. posiform, is attached to the plate 4:, and is movable thereby from its normal or idle position, which is vertical, to a signaling position, which is horizontal.

The signal arm 5 is provided with an opening 6 near its upper end, and with a socketsupporting portion 7 below said open ing. A lamp socket 8 is supported in the portion 7 and carries an electric lamp bulb 9 the illumination of which is plainly visible from the rear because of the opening 6 in which the lamp is mounted. A reflector 10 is attached to the signal arm 5, and is be tween the lamp and the tonneau of the automobile so that there will be a strong reflection of the illumination toward the rear. The circuit wires 11 lead from the usual terminals in the socket 8, one of said wires leading to the battery, and the other lead ing to a switch member 12 which is secured to the signal arm 5 adjacent to the upper end of the vertical bracket arm 3. The switch member 12 is angular in form, and extends in front of the upper portion of the arm 3 adjacent to another switch member 13 which is attached to the said arm 3. One of the wires 11 from the battery leads to the member 13, so that the circuit is closed and the lamp illuminated when the member 12 contacts with the member 13. Normally the member 12 is out of contact with the member 13, so that the lamp remains out of circuit and, consequently, is not illuminated so long as signal arm 5 is retained in its vertical position. When the signal arm is turned toward horizontal. position the member 12 contacts with the member 13, thereby completing the circuit and lighting-the lamp. The arrangement is such that the contact is effected after very slight movement of the signal arm, so that the lamp will be lighted while moving, and will shown an arrangement in which the control ofthe signal is effected by suitable connections leading to the clutch mechanism. In the form illustrated there is a rod 14 having its upper end pivoted to the plate 4 laterally from the pivot 5, so that said plate 4, and thereby the signal arm 5, may be operated from vertical to horizontal posit'on and vice versa, by said rod. lhe lower e d of the rod 14 is pivoted to the upper end of a lever 15 pivotally supported by the horizontal arm 1 of the' bracket. A rod 16 has its rear end pivoted to the lower end of the lever 15, and its forward end pivoted to the clutch controlling lever 17. The mechanism beyond the lever 17 is unimportant, it being understood that said mechafter starting and remaining lighted until it is again placed in vertical position by the closing of the clutch by operation of the" lever 17. I

What I claim and desire to secure by Let- 1 ters Patent is:

A vehicle sigpal comprising a horizontal arm and a verticalarm supported, thereby,

a. movable arm pivotally' supported by said vertical arm, a socket. support on said movable arm near the free end thereof, a lamp having a socket seated in said socket 'sup-f port, a reflector carried by said movable arm near the free end thereof adjacent to said lamp, a lever supported by said horizontal arm, a connection between said lever and said movable arm, means for holding said lever in position to retain said movable arm in an upright position w1tl1 its free end abov the pivot of said movable arm, a

sit-ion, aforesaid, and being arranged to contact with said segmental plate when said movable arm moves toward the horizontal position, and wires connecting said lamp with said plates respectively, whereby said lamp will be lighted when said plates are in contact.

In witness whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CHRISTIAN HEIDEMANN.

Witnesses:

GEO. C. Coon,

JOHN D. RIPPEY. 

